Power Ranking The SEC Teams Week 3: Conference Still Seems Shaky
Larry Burton (Syndicated Writer) Week three was not kind to many SEC teams struggling to stay near the top of the league and demonstrated why many feel this is a down year overall for the SEC.
Every league has it proverbial cellar dweller, but when that team starts beating up on other teams in the league, does it make the league as whole look stronger or weaker? That is what happened this week when Houston Nutt's Ole Miss Rebels were shocked by Vanderbilt.
As a whole, the SEC is very strong at the top with Alabama, very solid in the middle but the upper tier is very cloudy and no one is really coming into view there so far and with 25 per cent of the season over, now is the time to start showing what you can do.
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SEC Eastern Division
South Carolina -
Yes, their numbers are better than Florida's, but have they convinced that they have what it takes to finish the season strong? With Florida showing improvement and with the talent on board, the conventional wisdom is that Florida will soon retake top billing in this division.
South Carolina has shown they can pound the rock between the tackles and Garcia is really showing his form in passing this year. Combine that with the always tough Ellis Johnson defense and you have a pretty solid team.
Next weeks game on the road at Auburn should tell whether or not the season so far this season has been all smoke and mirrors so far.
2010 OVERALL FBS RANKINGS
PASSING YARDS 194.08 4th Overall RUSHING YARDS 198.3 33rd Overall
POINTS FOR 32.0 42nd Overall POINTS AGAINST 12.7 9th Overall
Florida -
They seem to be winning the division more by default than by actions on the field. You have a team here struggling to find an identity and a moment that can turn the season from ho hum to humming like they usually do.
Until Steve Spurrier and the Gamecocks show that they can string more than a few wins together, you have to put Florida ahead of South Carolina.
Florida has so much potential, one has to believe that at some point this season, they can finally tune the engine and stop sputtering past opponents in the second half on just depth and talent.
Florida's put up or shut up time is quickly approaching with the next games against Kentucky, Alabama and LSU.
2010 OVERALL FBS RANKINGS
PASSING YARDS 150.7 103rd Overall RUSHING YARDS 166.7 52nd Overall
POINTS FOR 34.3 32nd Overall POINTS AGAINST 14.3 16th Overall
Kentucky -
Don't let the football strength rankings fool you. Kentucky has some good numbers, but against very average to bad opponents. This week's contest with Florida at the the swamp will tell us once and for all just how good the Cats are this year.
If the offense can keep up the pace they have so far this year, they could actually give the Gators a fight, especially if Florida keeps stumbling around looking for an identity.
Derrick Locke ran for a whopping 165 yards and Mike Hartline passed for another 250 which will certainly give Florida something to think about in planning for this week's game.
2010 OVERALL FBS RANKINGS
PASSING YARDS 255.3 32nd Overall RUSHING YARDS 242.0 15th Overall
POINTS FOR 44.3 11th Overall POINTS AGAINST 18.03 4th Overall
Tennessee -
Tennessee fights well for a half, but depth problems become apparent in the second as Tennessee fades pretty quickly. They once again looked good in the fist half of the game with Florida before the second half melt down did them in.
Still, there's reason to be optimistic. Sims is quickly gaining confidence and piling up yardage and if the defense can just get things together, they may win a few SEC games this year.
2010 OVERALL FBS RANKINGS
PASSING YARDS 205.0 73rd Overall RUSHING YARDS 181.0 42nd Overall
POINTS FOR 26.7 70th Overall POINTS AGAINST 26.3 80th Overall
Vanderbilt -
Yes folks there's a new cellar dweller in the SEC Eastern Division. Georgia has rocketed to the bottom while Vanderbilt rises now rises above two SEC teams, Georgia and Ole Miss.
With the season Houston Nutt is having, I hate to call the Vanderbilt win an upset, but that's just what it was. Not so much much that they won, but that they won by so much.
Vandy fans can take comfort in knowing they won't be shut out now in the SEC this season.
2010 OVERALL FBS RANKINGS
PASSING YARDS 127.7 110th Overall RUSHING YARDS 161.3 54th Overall
POINTS FOR 17.3 107th Overall POINTS AGAINST 21.3 58th Overall
Georgia -
Following up an 8-5 season by rocketing your team to last place in your division with a 0-2 conference record is not a great way to stop the hot seat talk surrounding Mark Richt.
Though Georgia played a valiant game against a team considered one of the better ones in the SEC, Arkansas, a loss is still a loss. And a loss at home is even worse.
And with other big games from better SEC teams still down the road, that 8-5 season last year that got so many so hot might seem like a good thing before the season is over.
2010 OVERALL FBS RANKINGS
PASSING YARDS 212.7 63rd Overall RUSHING YARDS 128.0 85th Overall
POINTS FOR 28.3 64th Overall POINTS AGAINST 18.3 39th Overall
SEC West
Alabama -
For anyone looking for chinks in the armor of the defending national champions, it was hard to find any Saturday as they just completely pummeled Duke 62-13 before calling off the dogs. They could have scored 90 points based on the first half performance, but that's not Nick Saban's style.
Next week will answer a lot of questions about the Tide defense. Facing Ryan Mallet, the world will find out in the Tide is rebuilding or simply re-loading on defense.
Any questions about Ingram were settled with a big exclamation mark. His 151 yards on just nine carries may finally shut everyone up on who's number one on this team. By contract, Richardson struggled with just 61 yards on seven carries and Eddie Lacy's seven carries netted 52.
Newcomer Jalston Fowler got 48 yards on just six carries. Look at the yards per carry average on these four runners and you'll see what some teams may just throw their hands up in the air when trying to find a way to stop them.
Ingram - 16.8 yds per carry, Richardson 8.7, Lacy 7.4 and Fowler 8.0.
2010 OVERALL FBS RANKINGS
PASSING YARDS 291.3 17th Overall RUSHING YARDS 250.7 13th Overall
POINTS FOR 44.7 9th Overall POINTS AGAINST 6.3 2nd Overall
Arkansas -
A game winning drive in the closing minutes of a big SEC game will give the Hogs a lot of confidence in the upcoming game with Alabama this weekend. Ryan Mallet proved that coming back for his senior year was the right move, and that final drive against Georgia has planted itself on the minds of many NFL scouts.
With the running game still sputtering, the Hogs seemed unable to run the clock and seal the deal after building up a big lead. That could cost them later in the year, but for now, the Razorbacks seem to be the second best team in the West.
After playing Alabama and Texas A&M, the Hogs play Auburn to decide second place once and for all.
2010 OVERALL FBS RANKINGS
PASSING YARDS 367.7 3rd Overall RUSHING YARDS 116.0 98th Overall
POINTS FOR 35.3 26th Overall POINTS AGAINST 11.3 5th Overall
Auburn -
Call it lucky, but call it a win. A call from an official took three points off the board and a second attempt to tie the game by a spirited Clemson team went wide left and Auburn escaped a tough out of conference game.
Next week we will see if Auburn is for real as they face a really good SEC team, South Carolina.
Cam Newton hasn't been passing like many had hoped but his running is more than making up for it so far. South Carolina may force him to beat them throwing as they look able to shut down the running lanes.
2010 OVERALL FBS RANKINGS
PASSING YARDS 200.7 78th Overall RUSHING YARDS 259.3 12th Overall
POINTS FOR 32.0 42nd Overall POINTS AGAINST 21.3 58th Overall
LSU -
They may not be winning pretty but they are winning. Even if the wins have been against struggling teams and depleted teams, they are wins.
As the Tigers head to the meat of their schedule, they are still a mystery. Jordan Jefferson doesn't look any more settled than last year. LSU is one of the worst teams in the country in passing.
But the defense looks to be tougher than previous years. John Chavis is a first class coordinator and it's obvious his influence is becoming ingrained on this unit.
With two more easy games before meeting Florida, look for the Tigers to stay in hunt, but only on paper for a few more weeks.
2010 OVERALL FBS RANKINGS
PASSING YARDS 120.0 115th Overall RUSHING YARDS 203.0 32nd Overall
POINTS FOR 28.7 61st Overall POINTS AGAINST 11.35th Overall
Mississippi State -
The Dogs looked flat against LSU as John Chavis, LSU's defensive coordinator seemed to have all the answers to Dan Mullen's offense in that 29-7 loss.
You get the feeling that if Mullen can get the recruiting going down in Starkville that he can put a team out there than fight with any of the big boys in the SEC.
Next week's game with Georgia will be an interesting one. It will show if Georgia really belongs in the bottom of the SEC or whether they can hope to be just another mid tier SEC team. For State, it will show if they can rebound from a rough loss.
2010 OVERALL FBS RANKINGS
PASSING YARDS 205.7 72nd Overall RUSHING YARDS 155.3 63rd Overall
POINTS FOR 23.3 86th Overall POINTS AGAINST 17.7 33rd Overall
Ole Miss -
Stick a fork in Ole Miss for this season, they're done. Yes, many expected it it to be a down year, but not a dig a hole and jump in kind of year.
The sad thing for for a team that should be now known as "Ole Mess" is that they look this pitiful after playing the easy games on their schedule. Can you imagine how they'll stink up the hard ones?
If they stink so bad with Masoli, can you image how bad they'd smell without him?
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